Dinesh Karthik and his Knights will look to confirm the last IPL 2019 playoff spot as they take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium tonight.
After Sunrisers Hyderabad’s loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore last night, all eyes will be on KKR vs MI clash. For KKR it’s another do-or-die match, while MI will be aiming to finish in the top 2.
Kolkata Knight Riders had quite a fairy tale start to the season. But after winning four out of their first five matches, they suffered six losses in a row. It was against MI in Kolkata where we broke the jinx and a double over against the home side tonight will send us through to the playoffs of Vivo IPL 2019.
Head to Head
MI: 18 | KKR: 6 (Overall)
MI: 7 | KKR: 1 (In Mumbai)
The above mentioned head to head record is hard to take if you are thinking from KKR's perspective. Mumbai Indians have been the toughest team to beat in the past for KKR. Something that changed when we met them at Eden Gardens last Sunday.
Here are a few positives that we'll take ahead of tonight's clash:
- 232 for 2 was KKR's highest total against MI. We won the match convincingly. So form is with us.
- With 80% win percentage, KKR have been the best chasing side in Vivo IPL 2019
- During chase Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill have been scoring at an average of 95 and 101. So pretty much we bat second and we are halfway through.
- Chris Lynn is leading the charge in the last 6 innings
Runs: 234 | Avg: 39.0 | SR: 152 | 50s: 3
- It was a heartbreaking loss against RR at Eden Gardens where DK's 97* wasn't enough to take us past the line. But one thing that hasn't changed since that game is that our skipper is making sure that he stays till the end. DK has remained not out (97*, 15*, 21*) in the last three matches.
- KKR's bowling in Powerplay has been a decisive factor for the team's result. We have lost all three matches where we've conceded over 9 RPO in PP. Our win percentage is 75 when we've conceded less than 7 runs per over in PP.
KKR News:
One thing that has changed in KKR's past two wins is putting in a complete team performance. There are a few notable performances than just one. The team has played as a unit and two convincing wins is just an example of what this team can do once they get going.
MI News:
The home side are already in the playoffs. A win tonight will push Delhi Capitals to number three. A top two finish is what Rohit and co. will be aiming for.
With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis at the top and Hardik Pandya, two KPs (Kieron Pollard & Krunal Pandya) at the middle and lower batting order, MI certainly has a strong batting lineup. Bumrah and Malinga are MI’s two key bowlers and both will look to have a fresh start after going wicketless against KKR in the previous match.
Teams
KKR: Dinesh Karthik (C & WK), Carlos Brathwaite, Sandeep Warrier, Kuldeep Yadav, Shrikant Mundhe, Harry Gurney, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Nikhil Naik, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Chris Lynn, Rinku Singh, KC Cariappa, Joe Denly, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Robin Uthappa
MI: Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Barinder Sran, Ben Cutting, Beuran Hendricks, Evin Lewis, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Lasith Malinga, Mayank Markande, Mitchell McClenaghan, Pankaj Jaswal, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Rasikh Salam, Siddhesh Lad, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh
Last five meetings
MI 4-1 KKR
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Date & Time: 5 May 2019, 8 PM
